Finding the Path
by Luana Starlight
Summary: Sequel to What Happened. Haunted by even more memories of her past, Kendra still races on to try and get home. But, how do you keep moving on in a world that you have only begun learning about? COMPLETE
1. Land of Rohan

AN: This is the sequel to "What Happened." If you haven't read that, then go back and read it. Otherwise, I only own the characters you don't recognize. Enjoy!

_"A path is laid before you. You can choose to follow it or deviate from it,"_ she had once been told.

Well, she had chosen a path. And she was going to follow it. Though, right now, all she wanted to do was get off the path and sleep for a week. Kendra had never felt so tired in all her life. They had been running for about two days, nonstop. The only reason was because the Uruk-hai, as they were called, had been running nonstop.

Kendra watched as Aragorn kneeled down and put his ear down to the ground. He stayed that way for a long time, not moving. Kendra had found out early on that he did this to hear the creatures that were ahead of them. He was able to tell if they were running or walking. In her mind, though, it looked kind of funny seeing a grown man lying on the ground with his ear pressed flat to the ground. She would laugh, if she could breathe.

Legolas and Gimli were also with her, although they were further back than Aragorn. Gimli, like Kendra, was having a hard time breathing. Legolas, on the other hand, seemed to be just as fresh and rested as the day they left Lothlorien. She could kill him. Or throw him into the next mud puddle they passed, whichever struck her fancy.

"HURRY!" Aragorn shouted.

They were off again. Kendra knew the reason they were running. Two Hobbits, Merry and Pippin, had been taken by these same creatures that had killed another companion, Boromir. If they didn't run, Merry and Pippin may be dead the next time they were seen. Kendra grew very quiet at the thought of those two bright and happy Hobbits dead. She didn't know how old they were but they seemed too young to die now.

They ran for several more days. Aragorn and Legolas seemed to switch places in front all the time. Kendra ran steadily in the middle of the group while Gimli faithfully brought up the rear. This hadn't changed since they had first started out. But, the happiest thing she knew was that they were catching up.

Kendra leaned against a rock, trying to catch her breath. They had stopped just as they had topped a hill. Aragorn was looking out over the plains. There was nothing out there but gently sloping hills and open grasslands. Legolas moved past Kendra and made his way further out onto the plains.

"Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn called out.

"The Uruks turned northeast," he said, stopping for a second. The next sentence was said more frantically, "They are taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"

"Saruman," Aragorn said, more to himself.

Kendra didn't know who this Saruman was but she remembered Gandalf saying his name when they were trapped in the blizzard on that mountain. Obviously, Saruman was trying to keep them from rescuing their friends.

'Great, he's probably trying to take over the world, too. Don't these guys ever get the hint,' she thought as they took off again. 'It doesn't even work in the movies.'

It was about noon when they stopped on another hill. Aragorn had leaned down to look at some tracks while everyone else looked at their surroundings. It was quiet here. Kendra was looking around, marveling at the simplistic beauty of this place when a sound caught her ear. Aragorn had also heard it because he stood and looked back. Next thing she knew, all four were hiding in some rocks that had been to their left.

Horses raced past their hiding spot. Kendra had never seen real horses in all her life. And to see them moving at such a speed kind of scared her a little. Once the horses were past, Aragorn moved out of his hiding spot and back out onto the hill. He watched the horses go for a little more before calling out.

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?"

Kendra, Legolas, and Gimli had all moved next to him and they watched as the entire group of horses turned at their leader's command. Now the riders were coming right at them. Before anyone could make another move, the horses were grouped in a tight circle around the four. And just as quickly, all spears were dropped, effectively trapping them in this circle. Two spears parted and allowed a rider in. Kendra noted immediately that his helm was different than the others. He had a white plume going down the back while the helm itself was a little more intricate.

"What is a man, an elf, and a dwarf doing in the Riddermark?" he said before noting that there was someone he missed. "And a woman?"

He paused, for a few seconds, "Speak quickly!"

It wasn't Aragorn who answered. "Give me your name, horse master, and I will give you mine," Gimli replied.

The leader got down off his horse and came forward a little. He stopped a few feet away from Gimli, who was smiling a smug smile.

"I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it was a little higher from the ground," he threatened.

Before anyone could react, Legolas had grabbed an arrow, strung it, and had it pointing at the man. "You would die before your stroke fell."

Spears closed in tighter, mostly on the elf. Kendra had tried to back up a little, as her head was right near Legolas' arrow hand. All she got was some spears in her back. Aragorn, meanwhile, had reached over and placed a hand over Legolas'. Legolas slowly put down his bow and Kendra moved forward again, trying to get the spears out of her back.

"I am Aragorn, this is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realms. And the young woman is Kendra Connor. We are friends of Rohan."

"And where does she hail from?"

Aragorn went silent because he didn't have the answer. All looked at Kendra.

"Where is your home, woman?"

"First off, my name is Kendra. Second, my home is not from anywhere near here. My home city is the City of Domes, in what is left of war-torn America."

The man didn't ask anymore questions, and Kendra didn't want to answer anymore from him. With the way he was treating her, she had quickly put on her, as her co-workers called it, 'mage face.'

"We are tracking a party of Uruk-Hai. They have taken several of our friends," Aragorn started, diverting attention back to the first question asked.

"We destroyed the party of Uruks last night. We piled and burned the carcasses," he said, pointing to a visible plume of smoke that was from the direction that they had come.

"Did you see two Hobbits with them?" Gimli asked quickly, panic evident in his voice.

The confused look was noted and Aragorn quickly elaborated, "They would be small, only children to your eyes."

"We left none alive."

"Dead?" Gimli got out.

"Yes," the man nodded, "I am sorry."

All four seemed to be in shock. Legolas had placed his hand on Gimli's shoulder seconds after Gimli had spoken. Kendra had dropped her gaze to the ground as her mind went numb again with the thought of those two Hobbits dead.

'It can't be. They can't be dead. It's a lie.'

A whistle broke through their thoughts. The man had turned and whistled, waiting for something. Two horses came to him, both without riders. He caught the reins and turned and handed the reins to Aragorn. Aragorn immediately handed one set of reins to Legolas who started to pet the horse.

"Friends you may be of Rohan but the king will not recognize you. He doesn't even recognize his own kin now. I am Eomer of Rohan. Search for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It is forsaken in these lands," Eomer said, mounting his horse. He turned to his company, "We ride north."

With that, the riders rode off. The four stood there, watching them leave. Aragorn then got onto his horse quickly followed by Legolas. That left Gimli and Kendra on the ground.

"So, what are we going to do? Run," Kendra said looking at the two.


	2. Following the Hobbits

'My butt is going to be so sore by the time this is all done,' Kendra thought for what must have been the tenth time.

This was her first time on a horse and she knew it wouldn't be her last. She was riding behind Aragorn, gripping his waist tightly. The horses had looked big riding past them when they were hidden behind the rocks. To her, they seemed a lot bigger riding on them. Kendra looked over and noted that Gimli was also gripping Legolas' waist a bit tightly.

'I guess he has never been on a horse, either.'

They rode for several hours, going slowly because both horses had two riders. They finally got to where the bonfire had been. The flames hadn't done too good a job on destroying these creatures as there were still many bodies still visible. Something caught Kendra's eye as they were riding up. Aragorn had dismounted and had walked over to the still-smoking pile of bodies. This left Kendra to get herself off of the horse. She hit the ground, butt first.

Kendra got off the ground, rubbing her slightly bruised bottom. She walked over to the thing that caught her attention. It was a head on a pike. The face suggested that it had been alive when they had taken the head off.

'That is so disgusting,' she thought, looking at the way they had placed it.

This was a familiar act to her, though. Mages did this to show trespassers what would happen if they didn't leave their territory. Normal gangs did this to mages to show what would happen if they found out you were a mage. And the creatures of nightmare, at least the stronger and smarter ones, did this to create their staffs, showing their power.

Kendra walked back over to the other three. Gimli was sifting through the pile with his axe, trying to find something. Legolas was looking out onto the plains while Aragorn was watching Gimli. All were hoping that Eomer was lying.

Gimli stopped and pulled something out of the pile, "It's one their belts."

Kendra looked at what was left of the scabbard, her mind refusing to believe that it was there. She heard a clang as something was kicked and Aragorn screaming into the open sky. Legolas was saying something in elvish which left Kendra and Gimli to try and deal with it.

"We failed them," Gimli finally said.

Kendra was watching Aragorn, waiting to see what he was going to do. If the two Hobbits were really dead, what use was there of hanging around here? Maybe they would continue riding to Gondor. Or even to Mordor and try to find Frodo and Sam. Either way, she would follow Aragorn's lead.

Suddenly, "A Hobbit lay here," she heard Aragorn say.

He was looking at the ground, studying it. What he was looking at, she couldn't tell. Her eyes were not trained for the subtle depressions of the ground. Her eyes were trained for shadows and magic. Aragorn started moving, staying close to the ground.

"Their bonds were cut," he said, holding up some rope that looked like it had been sawn through.

"They went over here, then here, and then..." he stopped in front of the forest.

"Fangorn Forest," Gimli said. "What madness drove them in there?"

Kendra looked at the tightly woven branches that were just on the outside of this forest. There was no sign of life coming from anywhere in there and she was scared to enter. But enter she would because Aragorn and Legolas started moving in. Kendra and Gimli looked at each other before sighing and following the man and elf.


	3. Surprise in Fangorn

AN: Sorry for not updating in a while. Had some problems.

'Nothing really changes about this forest, does it?' Kendra thought to herself, as she fought to get her coat free.

This was the fifth time that the branches closer to the ground had snagged her coat and she was getting further and further behind every time. She barely had Legolas in sight and she could easily pick him out because of his blond hair. Her coat came free and she started running to try and catch up with her three companions.

"The air is so close in here," Gimli muttered.

Legolas looked around, "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memories. And anger."

'Well, that's a relief. Just where I wanted to be. In an old forest with trees that probably have grudges against man,' Kendra thought.

She moved past Legolas who had caught Aragorn's eye before turning to look back at Gimli who had just raised his axe at an unusual sound. Kendra listened and noticed how it sounded like something was creaking. Just like an old, wooden house that was just getting ready to fall.

"Gimli," Aragorn whispered, motioning for Gimli to put his axe down.

Gimli got the hint and lowered his axe. That's when Kendra felt something.

"Aragorn, something's not right," Kendra whispered.

Legolas moved past her, eyes scanning the forest ahead. He said something, again in elvish, before saying quietly, "The White Wizard."

Kendra didn't like the way they said that and slowly prepared one of her knives. As they had been traveling, Boromir and Aragorn had been teaching her how to throw her knives, which would give her some protection from a distance. If they were going to be meeting someone dangerous, she wanted to be prepared.

"Don't let him speak," Aragorn said.

The rest of what he said was lost on Kendra because they turned quickly. Legolas let loose and arrow and it was batted away like it was a fly. Gimli threw one of his axes and it was shattered just like it had been at the Council meeting. Kendra and Aragorn never got to do anything as their weapons suddenly became too hot to hold.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits," a voice said, coming from the light that surrounded the body. "They passed this way not too long ago."

"Who are you?" Aragorn shouted, covering his eyes as he tried to peer into the light.

The light started to fade as the stranger moved forward. Kendra suddenly gasped as the face was revealed.

"Gandalf."

Legolas and Gimli were on their knees, bowing before Gandalf. Aragorn stood there in shock, looking at their once lost companion. Kendra wasn't sure what was happening and she just stood there.

"Gandalf, what happened?"

That's when Gandalf told them. Kendra listened as he told them about how he fought the Balrog that had dragged him into the bowels of Moria. Gandalf told them how he had fought and wounded the Balrog in the caverns and then how he had killed him on the mountaintop before surrendering to death himself.

"I have been sent back, until my task is complete," Gandalf finished.

"Gandalf," Aragorn said again.

"Gandalf?" he said, like he was trying to remember. "Yes, that was my name. Gandalf the Grey."

"Gandalf," Gimli said, grinning happily.

"I am Gandalf the White."

They started moving again. This time, Gandalf leading them on some unknown path. He had told them that Merry and Pippin were safe with Treebeard, an Ent. As they walked, Gandalf told them of all that had been happening but had never reached their ears. The king of Rohan was being manipulated from Orthanc, making his country easy to access. Eomer, his nephew, had rebelled and was now gathering all the Riders that were still loyal to him.

'What does the idiot plan to do with all those Riders?' Kendra though after she heard everything. 'Wouldn't it be easy enough to go back to the capital city and then throw out the creature that is causing all this misery? But no, that's too simple.'

They came out of the forest and Kendra smiled a little as the sunlight hit her skin. Their horses were there, but now they had Gandalf and the horses could really only carry two riders. Gandalf looked out onto the open grasslands and started to whistle. The whistle carried out into the open sky. Just when it had truly faded away, another sound seemed to pick up.

Legolas stepped away from his horse and watched as a white figure started to crest one of the hills.

"That is one of the _mearas_ unless my eyes are deceived by some trick," he said, awe evident on his face.

'What is a _mearas_? It looks just like another horse,' Kendra thought, after being helped back onto Aragorn's horse.

"Shadowfax," Gandalf said, petting the pure white horse. "He has been my friend on many a journey."


	4. Trouble in the Throne Room

The group of now five members rode hard. Kendra hung tightly onto Aragorn as he easily followed Gandalf. Somehow, Kendra knew that this was a race against time. They didn't have time to worry about the Hobbits. They didn't have time to worry about the Ring or Sauron getting his hands on it. All that mattered was getting to Rohan's capital to free the king from whatever spell had been put on him.

Kendra's face smashed into Aragorn's back as he suddenly pulled to a stop. She looked around him and saw in front of her, on a lonely hill that could almost be a mountain by itself, a city. She didn't get too long to stare at it, as the three horses started moving again. The city looked so lonely, and proud, as it stood upon that hill. It reminded Kendra a little of her home.

Earth had been so devastated that there were few hospitable spots left. Her city, the City of Domes, stood alone in a great wasteland. Just a couple of hours away to the east was the ocean. It had once been called the Atlantic Ocean but now it had been named the Ocean of the Dead. That was where all the dead bodies had been thrown because there hadn't been enough people to bury the hundreds of thousands who had died. Her father and mother had once taken her outside of the city to go and visit her mother's mother in the north.

Kendra remembered riding away from the City of Domes for the first time. She had been so excited and she and her brother had looked out the window watching as it disappeared into the ever-increasing wasteland. They had passed over a bridge that had once been, if she remembered the name correctly, the Brookly Bridge. Now, there was enough room on the Ruined Bridge for one car to pass. They had passed over it again going home. Kendra and her brother had not cared when their home city came into sight. After seeing the outside world, Kendra realized how much damage had been done to a world that she had seen as a wondrous place.

Kendra shook her head. She didn't want to think about home right now. It was hard enough when she thought about what the Lady of the Golden Wood had told her. She would never be able to get home unless she completed the quest and followed the paths that had been laid out before her.

While she had been daydreaming and remembering, their small group had ridden up to the main gates and passed through into the city itself. Kendra looked around at the people. Almost all were wearing dark colors, like they were all going to a funeral. Not a single child laughed or played in the streets.

"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," she heard Gimli mutter.

'That's for sure,' Kendra thought as they stopped in front of the steps that led to the palace.

Just as Kendra started to get down, she felt two hands suddenly wrap around her hips and help her off the horse. Once she was on the ground, she turned to face Aragorn.

"I just didn't want you falling on your bottom and embarrassing us here," he said, grinning slightly.

"Thanks," Kendra said, a little on the cold side.

She turned and followed Gandalf up the stairs. She could hear Legolas and Aragorn laughing softly behind her.

'Ooh, are they going to get it,' she thought.

They had just reached the top when they were greeted by several guard members.

"I am sorry but we cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhelm," he said.

Gandalf nodded before pulling out his sword and handing it over. Slowly, the rest handed their weapons over. Legolas handed over his bow before pulling his knives out of their sheaths and handing them over. Gimli handed over his axes, at least the ones he had left. Kendra had handed over her two knives and turned to watch Aragorn, who seemed to be pulling weapons out of every conceivable hiding spot on his body. Once they were done, they started to walk towards the doors. They were stopped again.

"Your staff?"

Gandalf looked at the guardsman before saying, "You would not deprive an old man of his walking stick, would you?"

The guard sighed before motioning them to go forward. Legolas moved forward and allowed Gandalf to lean on his arm as they moved through the doors. Kendra followed closely behind, watching the shadows on either side of the room. Movement had caught her eye and she quickly confirmed her suspicions. Hiding in the shadow were several rough looking men. Men that obviously did not belong in this court.

Because she had been so busy noting the things going on around her, she had missed the first part of the conversation that was happening right in front of her. Gandalf had moved in front of his four companions and was talking to a greasy looking man.

"Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I did not come here to trade crude words with the likes of you," Gandalf suddenly said, holding his staff in front of him.

"I told you to take his staff," the man suddenly started shouting, causing the men from the shadows to come forward, towards Gandalf.

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli immediately took down one man each. Kendra hadn't been so lucky. One of the men had come up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her arms at her sides. Kendra didn't put up much of a struggle and the man slowly relaxed his grip. Kendra suddenly went limp and he was forced to drop her. The minute she was free, she turned and punched. The man grabbed his stomach and Kendra aimed a punch at his face, catching him square in the nose. He went down.

Kendra now turned her attention to the greasy man but Gimli already had that under control. Now, everyone turned to what Gandalf was doing. He was having a conversation with an insane looking man. The old man on the throne was still pale and dead looking but his face was twisted into this sick smile. Kendra heard Aragorn say something but she didn't turn to see who he was talking to.

A bright light seemed to engulf the throne and the figure on the throne collapsed forward. A young woman rushed past Kendra, surprising the daylights out of her, and caught the king before he could completely fall out of the chair. He sat back up and started to look around. Suddenly, right before everyone's eyes, the years seemed to disappear off of the king. He had returned to, what Kendra guessed was, his proper age. He looked around, as if he didn't know where he was.

"I know you," he said, looking hard at the woman before him. "Eowyn."

He smiled before looking up at Gandalf, "Gandalf?"

"Breath the free air again, your majesty," Gandalf said.


	5. Funeral Memories

Things passed quickly after that and all Kendra could really remember was watching the greasy man, Grima Wormtongue, being thrown down the steps. Theoden had almost killed him but Aragorn had stopped that. Kendra had watched as Grima stood and pushed his way through the assembled crowd. Now, they had been given rooms to rest in for a little while. Kendra had quickly taken advantage of that and laid down to sleep.

Now, she was being awakened by a gentle hand shaking her shoulder. She rolled over, away from the hand.

"Kendra, you have to get up," a voice said.

"Go away, Legolas. I just got to sleep," Kendra muttered into the pillows.

"But, we have to go to the funeral."

Kendra sat up, "What funeral?"

"The funeral of the king's son, Theodred. Our presence is requested right now."

"All right. I'm coming," Kendra said, forcing herself off the bed.

She really didn't want to go. Funerals brought back too many memories. As the squad leader, she had been required to go to all the funerals for her men. Each group of family and friends stared at her the entire time, blame and anger evident in their eyes. People she had once considered friends were now her enemies. People who had once stopped to speak to her now gave her the cold shoulder. It was like that everywhere.

Kendra followed Legolas out of her room and out to the main hall. Gandalf was standing there talking to Aragorn while Gimli sat off to the side, smoking his pipe. They looked over when Legolas and Kendra walked in.

"We thought that you two might have gotten lost," Gimli said.

"Someone was just having a hard time waking up," Legolas said, starting to laugh.

"Watch it, elf boy. You and the ranger are getting your comeuppance later," Kendra warned, ice in her voice.

"For what?"

"Think back, Aragorn. That's all I'm going to say."

The look that crossed Aragorn's face seemed to be one of dread but it didn't last long because he suddenly straightened up. Kendra turned and saw why. Theoden had just walked in. He still moved like he truly was still an old man. He had regained his true age but once he had been told the news about his son's death, he seemed to have aged again.

"Let us be going, Theoden King," Gandalf said.

The funeral was unlike anything that Kendra had ever seen. They had carried the body of the prince on a stretcher, as she called it, all the way through the city. Then, they had placed the body in a stone tomb that had been built and then allowed to grow over with grass. When Theodred's body had started to go into the tomb, Eowyn had started up a song that was apparently a part of the ceremony. Her voice had broken several times but still she sang on.

After the funeral, Kendra had walked back up to the city with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Gandalf had insisted that he stay behind with the grieving king.

"I have never seen a funeral like that before," Kendra commented as they were walking.

"It is not uncommon to do something like that," Aragorn said. "Gondor is different, as well."

"Different? How?"

"The royal families, and the stewards, are buried in giant blocks of stone. On top of the coffins are statutes of the dead king or queen. A likeness is made so that everyone will remember who that person was."

"That seems kind of silly, really," Kendra said, looking at Aragorn. "I mean, the only people who will truly remember the dead king will be the ones who lived under his rule. Future generations could probably care less what the king looked like. All they might care about is how he ruled."

"I never thought of it that way."

"Kendra," Legolas said, suddenly, "at the funeral today. You seemed upset. Why?"

"Funerals bring back bad memories. I was the squad leader for a group of Hunters. It was the same squad that had died, leaving me as the only survivor. I had to go to all the funerals. At each and every one, I was blamed for their deaths. It was even worse at my brother's funeral. _'You should have died' _and _'it's all your fault that he's dead'_ were all that was really said to me."

"But, it wasn't really your fault that everyone died," Gimli started. "I mean, you have told us a little about your fights and what you had to do. If your entire group died, and you had nothing to do with it, why did they blame you?"

Kendra looked down at the ground. "Because they needed someone to blame. I made it out because my brother had pushed me down an alley just as the bomb went off. That saved my life and ended his. They blamed me because I was a Mage and they told me that I should have sensed the bomb going off."

"Not even Gandalf can sense things like that," Legolas said. "He can feel when something is wrong but he can't stop it from happening, which is probably what they were saying you should have done."

Kendra laughed a little, a sad kind of laugh. "My powers mostly deal with natural things. I can create wind gusts and water spouts. I can cause lightning to fall from a clear sky and hail to catch fire. I can do all these things and they knew that. But, like I said, they needed someone to blame. And I was the perfect target."

They had reached the palace by now and they were quickly allowed inside. Just as they passed the threshold, Kendra dropped. Aragorn and Legolas quickly knelt beside her. Aragorn's cool hand touched her forehead and drew back quickly.

"She's burning with fever. It's amazing that she made it this far."

Legolas suddenly looked up, "How long has it been since the battle at Amon Hen?"

"A couple of days. Why?" Aragorn said, looking at the elf.

"Do you remember when she got us off of Caradhras? It took a couple of days but just before we reached Moria, she was having cramps. It came several days after she had used her powers."

"You're right." Aragorn knelt down and lifted Kendra's limp body. "We need to get her to her room and then we have to try and bring her fever down."

Gimli slowly moved out of the way as Aragorn quickly moved to Kendra's room. Legolas watched him go before slowly placing a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.

"Who would ever think that someone who acts so strong as Kendra could be taken down so quickly by something like that?" Gimli asked quietly.

Legolas looked at the doorway that Aragorn had disappeared into. "She is strong, so I know she'll make it through. But, like she told us, she brought this upon herself by making her body reject her use of magic. I think that maybe, just maybe, if she used her powers more, she might soon be immune to this as well."

"You're right, lad. I guess all we can do right now is just make sure she is comfortable."


	6. Your Worst Memory

Chapter Six: Your Worst Memory

Aragorn had set Kendra on her bed, trying to make her as comfortable as possible. Her hair was slowly becoming plastered to her head as she started to sweat. Aragorn quickly unbuttoned her coat and sat her up to get it off of her. Her body seemed so light and he held her as if he was afraid of breaking her. Once he had her coat off, he quickly pulled the covers over her. Kendra moaned and Aragorn placed a cool hand on her forehead. She quieted.

Aragorn quickly moved out of her room and located a servant. He told the servant to get him several things and he went back into Kendra's room. Her face had paled and it seemed that her breathing had become harsher, like she was fighting for breath. Aragorn knew that wasn't a good sign.

A knock on the door had Aragorn moving quickly to open it. Standing there was Legolas, who had the pot of hot water and Aragorn's pack.

"I thought you might need this," he said, handing the pack over.

"Thanks, Legolas," Aragorn said, quickly rifling through.

Legolas had walked over to the bed and stood there, watching Kendra. She had started to moan again and she was soon thrashing underneath the covers. Legolas looked at Aragorn in alarm.

"Hold her still, Legolas. We don't need her to hurt herself," Aragorn ordered quickly.

Legolas quickly sat on the bed and took a hold of Kendra's shoulders. She started fighting harder, trying to free herself. From the way she was fighting, it was like she was trapped in a nightmare.

_She ran. The City of Domes had never been safe. Her parents had left her behind at the store. They had done this before, and she had always found her way home. They had never been happy but she didn't want to be separated from her twin brother. _

_A sound caused her to start running faster. She had stepped out of the store and had promptly run into a Mage gang. They were all wearing the typical trenchcoat seen on every Mage. They also had their gang symbol on the back. This group had a red eye on the back of their coats. And they were the most dangerous._

_They had started to bully her and she had unwittingly unleashed a small amount of her power, causing them to fall back. This had given her a chance to run. And it became a game of hunter and prey. She could hear they're maniacal laughter as they chased her._

_Her foot caught and she fell, scraping her knees. She kneeled there, trying to catch her breath. A hand grasped her throat, lifting her up. She stared into the silver eyes of the Mage leader. He had the red eye tattooed over his real eyes, giving him an insane look. She fought to breath._

"Aragorn, she's not breathing!" Legolas almost shouted.

Aragorn moved over to the bed, almost knocking Legolas off. He noted that her chest had stopped moving and he quickly placed a hand over her heart. His eyes opened in shock as he noted that her heart had stopped as well. Aragorn quickly climbed onto the bed and straddled her hips. Two hands on her chest and he started to push down, trying to restart her heart.

_His fingers closed ever so slightly, causing her to gag. She had clawed at his hand, trying to free her throat. He laughed again, this time placing a hand over her heart. She was staring right into his face when his grin went into a smile that could only mean something bad. She screamed with what little breath she had when he sent a bolt of lightning through her tiny body._

Aragorn started in shock when Kendra started breathing again. He moved off her and watched her. Something was wrong, but only when Kendra awoke could they know everything.

_The electricity raced through her body, numbing her so that she never felt when her body hit the concrete. She struggled to breath, trying to stay conscious. She watched as the rest of the gang came out of the shadows. Then her vision went black._

_Cool fingers rested on her forehead. She could hear voices. Male voices. They sounded familiar. She struggled to open her eyes. She needed to see who was talking. She needed to live. She needed…_


	7. Adapting

AN: Normally I don't do this, but PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU READ! I want to know people's thoughts on this.

Chapter Seven: Adapting

Aragorn and Legolas sat there, fear gripping their hearts. Kendra's breathing was harsh. But she still breathed. Several times her eyelids fluttered making them hold their breaths, waiting for her to open her eyes. Aragorn finally reached for the bowl of water that had been sitting by the bed. He dipped a rag in the water before gently laying it on Kendra's forehead. Aragorn started when Kendra's eyes opened.

"Kendra, thank goodness," he sighed.

"Ara…gorn," she muttered, almost as if she couldn't remember.

"Yes, Kendra. You gave us a scare. What happened?" Aragorn said, taking another rag to wipe her suddenly flushed face.

"They got me again. They got me…" she left off.

"Who got you?"

"The Red Eye gang. They got me, just like they did…when I was little."

"There is no gang here. It must have been a fever dream. You do have a very high fever."

Kendra seemed to sink further back into the pillows. Her eyes closed slowly, like she was trying to block something out. Aragorn watched her, listening as Legolas left the room, hopefully to tell Gimli not to worry. Aragorn waited for her to open her eyes again.

"Aragorn, I don't want to be a bother. If there is something else you need to do, then don't worry about me," Kendra suddenly said.

"No, I don't have anything else to do. Your health is my first priority right now. When you get better, then I can start worrying about other things."

Kendra laughed a little, her breath hitching as if it hurt to do such things. She closed her eyes, a small smile playing across her lips. Silence grew in the small room.

Suddenly, "You know, after this, you won't have to worry about me if I use my powers. I've used them so much, that this is a sign that my body has started to accept the magic running through my veins."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Aragorn asked.

Kendra opened her eyes, "Good and bad. Good because I won't be getting sick anymore. Bad because I might end up just like the rest of the Mages, which is something that I don't want."

"Well, we'll keep an eye on you. But I doubt that you could end up like these other Mages that you speak of. You have the memory of your family keeping you like you are."

Kendra looked over at the Ranger. She smiled before saying, "Thank you, Aragorn."

Gandalf and Theoden had come back to the palace with two children in tow. Now, the children were being fed and taken care of. Legolas had come into the room and told Aragorn that his presence was requested. He had been reluctant to leave Kendra but she had assured him that she would be fine.

After he had left, Kendra had rolled over to face the door. She stared at it. Aragorn had said that she had had a fever dream but because of the reality of it, she wasn't sure. This had happened to her once before when she had been really sick. Her brother had awakened her after hearing her scream and for the rest of the night he had stayed with her. The next morning, she had bruises on her body. And they had been in the exact spots on her body that she had been injured in her dream.

Kendra rolled back onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She had always listened to several Mages that had made the choice she had made. They had agreed to fight against other Mages and became Mage Hunters. They had taught her how to fight without utilizing her powers. They had also told her what would happen if she ever really did have her body get used to having the magic flowing through it. The fever was the definite sign.

Kendra closed her eyes, lulling herself to sleep. She needed to rest because somehow she knew that danger was approaching.


	8. Leaving Edoras

Chapter Eight: Leaving Edoras

A gentle shake slowly woke her. Kendra moaned as she rolled over. Standing there, hand on her shoulder, was Legolas. His eyes betrayed his worry that he felt for her.

"Is something wrong, Legolas?" she asked.

"We have to get going. The city is being abandoned. Everyone is going to Helm's Deep."

"Where? Why?" Kendra asked, sitting up.

"We can explain on the way," Legolas said, grabbing her coat for her. "Do you think you can walk to the stables?"

Kendra pushed the covers off and slowly placed her feet on the floor. She stood, a little shakily, but still stood. She looked at Legolas before nodding. He smiled and started out the door. Kendra followed, trying to stay close.

They were soon in the stables. Legolas had led her over to where Gimli was waiting. Kendra noted that Shadowfax was gone, which meant that Gandalf was no longer with them. Another thing she noted was that there was horse that had seemed to have gone insane at the other end of the stables. Several people had a hold of the reins but it didn't seem to be helping.

Before anyone knew what was happening, Aragorn had somehow calmed the horse. Kendra heard Legolas laugh lightly as he watched his friend.

"He always did have a way with animals," Legolas said, before turning back to his horse.

Kendra watched as Aragorn slowly stroked the animal's nose before he told Eowyn, who had gone to talk to him, to release the horse. After that, he made his way to where Kendra was standing.

"How are you feeling, Kendra?" he asked, looking at her with an intense gaze.

"I'll be fine. I can make it," she replied, trying to reassure him.

"Well, when you begin to feel bad, let me know."

"Of course, Aragorn."

Aragorn turned to his horse and led him out. He quickly climbed into the saddle before reaching down to help Kendra climb on. Once she was on, he followed Legolas out of the stable. They were on the move once again.

They had been traveling for several hours. Kendra had leaned her head against Aragorn's back while her hands were clasped around his waist. In this way, he could make sure that she stayed on the horse. Several of the Rohirrim had laughed at the two of them for riding that way but Aragorn paid them no heed.

"Do you think it would be easier for you to ride with her in front of you, Aragorn?" a voice asked.

Aragorn turned to face Theoden, who had ridden up beside him.

"No. It is better if we don't move her. At least I know she won't fall off. And she's probably comfortable that way."

"We will be stopping in a couple of hours. We have to set up camp for the night."

"Thank you, your majesty."

Theoden rode ahead, his horse moving carefully through his people. Aragorn watched him go before turning his attention back to Kendra, whose body had just started to slip.


	9. Relaxing and Revenge

Chapter Nine: Relaxing and Revenge

Kendra woke up to find herself on a rough blanket with her coat thrown over her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her fever had gone down considerably and she felt fairly refreshed.

"How are you feeling?"

Kendra looked up to see Aragorn walking over. He had a bowl in his hand and his pack in the other.

"Much better. I think by tomorrow, the fever should be all gone."

"That's good to hear. You gave us quite a scare. I don't think we want you dying on us anytime soon."

Kendra laughed a little and took the bowl that Aragorn offered to her. She took a sip of the cool water that was in it before she suddenly yawned. Aragorn sat down beside her, watching her as she finished off the rest of the water. Once she had drunk all the water, she placed the bowl down and picked up her coat, putting it back on.

"It's amazing, you know. Most women would be ashamed to be seen wearing what you are wearing. Most would consider it indecent," Aragorn said, watching her.

Kendra looked over, "I am considered unusual by most people. I have found that I am quite comfortable when I wear something like this." Kendra leaned back. "Do you remember at the council, when I chewed Boromir out because he seemed to imply that I knew nothing of war."

Aragorn laughed a little, "I remember. He came to me afterwards and said that he had never seen a woman like you. I must admit that you shocked quite a few people. But I think what shocked us the most were all the scars that covered your body. Especially on your back."

"You will not believe how many times I have been slammed through windows or into cars and walls. Most of the time, I get scratches and they heal up with no problems. Other times, they leave scars. I am not ashamed of the fact that I have these scars. They are proof that I have survived in a city that could kill anyone."

"Kendra, what are those things that you have on your back?" Aragorn asked.

"Oh, my tattoos. Well, there are several different stories behind them."

"Would you mind telling me?"

"No. The one that is in the center of my back, the entwining pillars of fire and water, is my personal marking. It means that I am one of the elemental Mages. We are few and far between. Most Mages can do things like lightning bolts but most can't create fire or control water or wind. The second tattoo, the one below the pillars was put onto my back when I became a Hunter. I'm not sure if you can read it but it is just the letters M and H joined. That was their way of marking me."

"What about the third tattoo? The sword dripping blood?" Aragorn asked.

"That tattoo was transferred to my skin after I killed a Mage that had more power than me. If a Mage kills another Mage, especially one that is of higher power, they are marked by that Mage's dying power. I killed him to save a group of children and I don't regret it."

Aragorn looked like he was about to say something when Eowyn suddenly walked up. Kendra nodded to her as she smiled a little warily at her. Then Eowyn turned her full attention to Aragorn.

Kendra could do nothing but laugh at Aragorn. It was obvious that Eowyn was not the world's greatest cook from the way Aragorn had been grimacing as he ate her stew. She had handed him the bowl, watched him take a sip before turning around. With her back turned, Aragorn tried to dump the bowl but made it seem like he had accidentally spilled some when she turned back around. Then he had had to continue eating with her standing there watching.

Later, after Eowyn had left, Aragorn glowered at Kendra, who had broken out in laughter. It had been too perfect for words. Especially since Eowyn had offered Kendra some of her stew, which Kendra had refused on the basis of being sick and wanting some chicken soup, something they had never heard of. Kendra had continued laughing even as Aragorn had gone to wash his mouth out.

Kendra leaned back, giggling at the memory of Aragorn's twisted face as he ate. If he had made that face with Eowyn's food, then he most definitely would never have liked her cooking. Maybe she could cook him something special. Her brother had always refused to let her cook and they would never know how bad her cooking was until they tried to eat her food. She rolled over, her stomach grumbling slightly. She would have to find some food later, preferably when Eowyn had gone to the other side of the camp. Kendra closed her eyes, remembering some of the foods that she missed. It wouldn't help her hunger, but it would help her look forward to going home.


	10. Attack and Reaching Safety

Chapter Ten: Attack and Reaching Safety

They were on the move again. This time, Kendra rode the horse. Solo. Aragorn was walking beside the horse, deep in thought. Kendra had found and talked with Legolas and Gimli for most of the night, just some simple conversation. Kendra had told them about some of the games she had played when she was little. Legolas had told her about his childhood, growing up in the dense and dark forests of Mirkwood. Gimli had gladly told them about how they had started mining again in Lonely Mountain, with Smaug gone. Kendra had asked who 'Smaug' was and both elf and dwarf had looked at her and replied, "A dragon."

Kendra smiled a little at that memory. Both elf and dwarf had had the same look of disgust on their faces. It had been too funny. Kendra had seen dragons before, but they had been small and hardly dangerous at all. Gimli had told her that dragons were hundreds of feet tall and they were always looking for humans to eat. Legolas had looked at the dwarf like he was crazy before telling her that Smaug had been sleeping for several years when he had been awakened by Bilbo Baggins, the uncle of Frodo. After that, a human by the name of Bard, had defeated the dragon, saving the dwarf's gold. Neither elf nor dwarf elaborated on anything after that.

Eowyn had walked up and had been talking to Aragorn when Kendra pulled her attention back to the here and now. Something wasn't right. There was danger nearby, she could feel it.

"Aragorn," Kendra said, "can you help me down?"

Aragorn looked up and stopped the horse, allowing her to get down. Kendra walked a little ways forward before stopping. She closed her eyes, straining her ears. There was a sound up ahead. It sounded like something moving. Several somethings. Aragorn walked up behind her, watching her. Eowyn was also watching her, but not with a friendly look.

Kendra let her mind's eye wander the plains. She could see the changing colors of the landscape. It was easier to pick things out in the dark of the night with this technique, but it still worked. The color of the land was a vibrant array of greens. The people moving ahead of and around her were different shades of warm colors, depending on their age. She could easily pick out Legolas, who was beyond her human sight. His color was a light yellow, signifying a long-lived life. She wandered past his color to pick out several more colors moving towards them. All were dark. The moving shapes were black with evil.

"Wargs!" came the shout.

The Rohirrim went into a panic. The women and children started to scream while the men all started mounting. Aragorn quickly mounted his horse before turning back to watch Kendra.

"Kendra, stay with them. If any of the wargs get passed us, you'll need to protect these people. Get them to Helm's Deep."

"You can count on me, Aragorn. Just be careful."

Kendra watched Aragorn as he rode off with the Riders. Then she turned and started shouting at the Rohirrim to continue moving. Eowyn stood there, watching the men ride. She had argued with Theoden about going to fight with them, but Theoden had convinced her to stay with the people. She turned and helped Kendra to get the people moving.

Several hours later, they topped a hill. There, nestled between two mountains, was their destination. Kendra stopped and looked at it. Her eyes roamed the area. It was defensible enough, if nothing ever got in. Otherwise, it would be a slaughter. If a large enough army ever came down this pass, nothing would ever make it out. Unless there was a secret hidden in there.

"We've made it."

"Thank you, oh thank you."

Kendra looked down at an older woman who had grasped her hand. Kendra let the shocked look cross her face. Why were they thanking her? Eowyn had led them here, not her. Kendra looked over at Eowyn who was also being thanked. The woman let go of Kendra's hand and continued moving. Kendra looked down to the ground before turning to look the way they had just come.

"You're worried, aren't you?" she heard someone ask.

Kendra turned to face Eowyn, who also had a worried look on her face. "Yes, they are the first people I have met who have truly accepted me for what I am. Nobody, not even my parents cared for me. The only person who did truly love me was my brother."

"You make it sound like he is no longer alive."

Kendra bowed her head, "He isn't. He sacrificed his life to save mine, which turned my parents against me."

Eowyn looked up at Kendra in shock. "I am sorry. I didn't know."

"It's alright. I still have my little brother and sisters. No matter how much my mom and dad try to turn them against me, they trust me. They give me hope for a bright future. And," Kendra turned to look Eowyn in the eye, "I intend to help them reach their bright futures."

"You sound like an older sister, alright. Well, let's go. They are probably waiting for us."

'Please be safe you three,' Kendra thought to the wind, hoping her message would carry.


	11. Noting, Secrets, and News

Chapter Eleven: Noting, Secrets, and News

Kendra had walked into Helm's Deep with Eowyn and immediately stopped. There were so many people crammed into the walls here. All were from surrounding villages that had been destroyed. Kendra noted the looks she was receiving but didn't respond to them. Her eyes were quickly at work, noting the structure of the fortress.

Kendra walked, noting how strongly this place had been built. You could obviously see that this place had been used before, as some of the stone was chipped and cracked. She walked up the steps to the battlements. Her eyes looked out to the opening of the pass. It was wide enough for several hundred people to walk through, shoulder to shoulder, and still give them room to fight. Off to the right side of the pass, there was a steep hill, which would be good for rolling things down. But only if there was some way to get to the top.

"Impressive, isn't it?" she heard someone ask.

Kendra turned, surprised to find King Theoden standing there.

"Your majesty, when did you get here?" Kendra asked, forgetting to bow.

"Only a couple of minutes ago. I am surprised that you didn't hear us. Legolas said your senses are remarkable for a human."

"I was busy," Kendra admitted. "I was looking around here. This fortress is impressive, though, I would not call it truly safe."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, first off, if this wall were ever breached, nobody would make it out of here alive. Secondly, I don't see any other defenses beside the main doors over there. If they broke down that door, this battle would end."

"Well, that's where the secret passage through the mountains comes in."

"Secret passage?"

"Yes, when this place was built, a cavern was carved out to hide those who couldn't fight. If the Deeping Wall was ever breached, they would follow some passages out to the other side of the mountains."

"Sounds safe. But, and I am sorry to say this, your majesty, but something isn't sitting right with me. Something feels wrong."

"Well, until you can tell me what you think might be wrong, I am going to help prepare the defenses."

Kendra bowed slightly as Theoden walked away. Just after he walked away, Legolas and Gimli walked up.

"Kendra," Legolas said, sadness seeping through.

"What is it, Legolas?" Kendra asked, looking from elf to dwarf back to elf again.

"There is something we have to tell you."

"Wait, where is Aragorn?" she asked, looking around. "No, don't tell me."

"He fell. An orc said he went off the side of a cliff. He fell into the rapids and we couldn't find any sign of him," Gimli told her.

Kendra stared at the two before turning back to the wall. She rested her hands on the cooling stone, trying to force herself away from despair. She couldn't believe it. Aragorn couldn't have died that easily. Aragorn had too much before him to die now. Hope was not a word that she was familiar with but she hoped now.


	12. Comforting Thoughts

Authors Notes: 'I Need A Hero' belongs to Bonnie Tyler and 'My Only Love' comes from the anime series 'Sailor Moon.'

Chapter Twelve: Comforting Thoughts

Theoden had called Legolas and Gimli into a private meeting with several of his top men. They had been in there for several hours so Kendra had perched herself on the outer wall. She wasn't looking at anything in particular as she sat there. Several of the guardsmen were whispering as they gave her sideways looks but she didn't pay any attention to them.

'First we lose Gandalf, but he comes back to us as the White Wizard. Then, on Amon Hen, we lose Boromir, a great warrior. From there we find out that Merry and Pippin have been taken by the Uruk-Hai. We get back to the camp to find Frodo and Sam have left to go on their own. Now, we have lost Aragorn. Is the Fellowship going to break down anymore?' she thought as she sat there.

Kendra hung her head, trying to think of something to get her mind away from the black thoughts that threatened to engulf her. As she was sitting there, she slowly realized that during her journey, she had heard very little music. Music had always been something that had calmed her, especially after a difficult day. What cds had been salvaged after the war had become like precious gems. Thankfully, though, her grandmother had stored all her old cds away. Then, she had given them to Kendra for her birthday about ten years ago.

Kendra looked up to the sky and thought. She had so many songs that she liked. Her mind finally settled on a song that she had always liked and had found so true. Even though there was no music to go behind the words, Kendra started to sing softly.

_Where have all the good men gone_

_And where are all the gods_

_Where's the streetwise Hercules _

_To fight the rising odds_

_Isn't there a white knight _

_Upon a fiery steed_

_Late at night I toss and I turn_

_And I dream of what I need_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero_

'_Til the end of the night_

_He's got to be strong_

_And he's got to be fast_

_And he's got to be fresh from the fight_

"An interesting song," someone said when she stopped to take a breath.

Kendra turned to find Legolas standing there. He was smiling slightly as he watched her. She smiled back before turning to face the opening to the canyon.

"I like to listen to music. Because I listen to it so much, I've pretty much memorized most songs."

"That song sounds like it has a fast beat. Do you know any slow songs?"

Kendra let her head fall back as she thought. "Yeah, but most are love songs."

"I would like to hear one, if you don't mind," he said, looking at her.

Kendra laughed lightly before thinking of a song that she could sing. Finally she thought of one:

_Deep in my soul_

_Love so strong _

_It takes control_

_Now we both know_

_The secrets bared_

_The feelings show_

_Driven far apart_

_I'll make a wish_

_In a shooting star_

_There will come a day_

_Somewhere far away_

_In your arms I'll stay_

_My only love_

_Even though you're gone_

_Love will still live on_

_The feeling is so strong_

_My only love_

_My only love_

"And you just repeat it once more before the song ends."

"That's a really pretty song," Legolas said, turning to walk away.

He suddenly stopped and turned back, "Kendra, you should sing more often. You have a very pretty voice."

Kendra watched as Legolas continued walking. No one had ever said anything like that to her and it had caught her completely off guard.

"Thank you, Legolas. That means a lot to me," she whispered, knowing full well that he could hear her.


	13. Back From the DeadFriends Quarreling

Chapter Thirteen: Back from the Dead and Friends Quarreling

Kendra had fallen asleep, propped against the wall. She had come down to sit behind the battlements and she had promptly fallen asleep. No one had wanted to bother her and they all gave her a wide berth. So it surprised her when she felt someone nudging her leg. Kendra blinked her eyes, trying to clear them of sleep.

"Hi there, sleepy," a very familiar voice said.

Kendra started awake. There, standing as plain as day, was someone she thought she would never see again.

"Aragorn," she said, not believing her eyes.

Aragorn smiled as he looked down. Then, he held out a hand to help her up. Kendra took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Once she was on her feet, she surprised him by throwing herself against him. It took him a few seconds but he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug.

"Legolas and Gimli said that you had fallen," she said once she had pulled back.

"I did fall. And I didn't think that I would make it."

"Then, how did you survive?"

"An angel came to me and gave me a new life."

Kendra smiled, knowing exactly who he was talking about. Aragorn turned and started walking before stopping to look back at Kendra.

"Kendra, will you fight with us? I think we may need your help this night," he said.

Kendra nodded and followed Aragorn to the armory.

Kendra stood in the armory and watched as old men and young boys were handed armor and weapons. She shook her head, saddened at the sight. This was too common for her and it saddened her heart to see it happening here. There were so many here that had so much to live for, whether it be a family they have yet to see or family that they want to see grow.

A shirt of mail was handed to her. Kendra took it, looked it over quickly, and then handed it right back. Most of the chains were rusted and it looked like it would fall off her at any point. She walked out of the main crowd and towards Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

"...These are not warriors," she heard Aragorn saying.

"Most have seen too many winters," Gimli said.

"Or too few," Legolas added.

Legolas turned his back to them before saying something in elvish. Kendra watched his face, noting that it seemed to twist in mockery of something. Aragorn replied in elvish, seemingly trying to pacify the elf. Whatever Legolas said after that proved to be the final straw for Aragorn.

"Then I shall die as one of them!"

All movement stopped as the Rohirrim turned to look at the quarreling friends. Kendra stood there, eyes shifting between man to elf and back to man. Quickly after his outburst, Aragorn turned and left. Legolas started to move after him but Gimli stopped him. Kendra watched as the scared faces of the young boys watched Aragorn leave and then turn to Legolas. Kendra leaned back against the nearest wall, one not covered with weapons and she slid down so that she was sitting on the floor.

'Friends quarreling before a battle. That cannot be a good sign,' she thought.


	14. Making Up and Old Friends

Chapter Fourteen: Making Up and Old Friends

All the weapons had been handed out and all the fighters had been outfitted. Kendra had stayed in her spot, sitting against the wall. She had pulled her knees up to her chest and she had stayed there. In her mind, she was imagining that she was sitting in her bedroom, waiting for her brother to come home. Everything was quiet and peaceful, nothing to disturb her. There were no thoughts of the mage wars or war in general. Children were playing in the streets outside her window and they were laughing. There were no screams of pain or anguish, no death. There was only peace.

A sound alerted Kendra to someone else in the room. She looked up, surprised to see Aragorn standing there. He had a pile of clothing sitting next to him on the table. Kendra stood up and watched as he pulled a chain mail shirt over his head before shrugging into a leather vest. He was so preoccupied with getting his garments on that he never noticed someone else enter the room. But Kendra did.

Soon, Aragorn was finished getting dressed and he reached down for his sword only to find it missing. Kendra smiled as he turned to find Legolas offering it to him, with a look of sorrow on his face. Kendra knew what was coming next. And it proved true when Legolas said that he would continue to follow Aragorn. She walked out of her hiding spot to surprise both man and elf.

"You have proven yourself to be a true leader, Aragorn," she said. "I will gladly die beside you if it comes to that."

"Thank you, Kendra. Let us hope it doesn't come to that."

Another sound came from the doorway and all three turned to watch Gimli as he struggled to get a chain mail shirt on.

"It's a little tight across the chest," he said once it hit the floor.

The look that was shared between the three was one of amusement. A little tight across the chest was an understatement. Suddenly, the blast of a horn broke the stillness. Legolas looked up and a look of surprise crossed his features.

"That is no orc horn," he said before taking off.

Aragorn and Kendra followed him, leaving Gimli to take care of himself. They ran up the stairs and came out of the doorway just as Haldir, the Marchwarden of Lothlorien finished greeting the King of Rohan.

"We have come to honor that allegiance," he said, looking right up at the three.

"Haldir," Aragorn said, quickly moving down the stairs.

Aragorn hesitated but a second before he engulfed the surprised elf in a hug. Kendra smiled as she noticed Haldir's look of amusement. Aragorn pulled back before saying something to the elf. Then, Haldir turned to Legolas, who he greeted in the traditional way. Just as they parted, and Kendra came down, the elves who had traveled with Haldir turned their heads before their bodies followed suit. It sounded like a clap of thunder.

"We are proud to fight beside men once again," Haldir said.


	15. Why Can't It Be a Simple Street Battle?

Chapter Fifteen: Why Can't It Be A Simple Street Battle?

Before it had fully registered, the elves had taken their positions on the Deeping Wall. Legolas and Gimli were positioned in the middle of the Lothlorien elves while Haldir had taken a position near one end. Kendra had gone down there, too. Aragorn was walking from end to end, making sure everything was ready.

"Kendra, are you sure you want to be here?" he asked once he got to her.

"Yes, Aragorn. I'm afraid that if I'm in the middle, I might hit one of our allies. Here, I have the wall to one side and Haldir on the other."

"Watch it," Haldir said, poking her in the side.

Kendra turned to look at him, a small smile on her face. They both knew that she was joking as she would never wish to harm the Marchwarden. They had become good friends during the Fellowship's stay in Lothlorien.

After Aragorn left, Kendra climbed up to sit on the wall, her legs hanging over the side. Haldir looked at her before turning to look at the approaching lights. They were the torches of the army of Uruk-Hai, the creatures of Saurman. And the torches were numerous, a bad sign.

"Why can't this be like a simple little street battle?" Kendra muttered.

Haldir replied, "Because then it would have been useless for us to come."

Kendra turned to look at the elf, "Nah. You elves needed your exercise. The walk did you some good."

The glare that Haldir leveled at Kendra could have been one that would put her in her grave. Kendra laughed before she stood up on the wall. She looked back out to the army of uruks. They had stopped a good ways off from the wall. Their leader, or who she assumed was their leader, was standing on a rock in the middle of the army, howling. It started raining.

'Perfect!' Kendra thought happily.

The uruks started pounding their spears while howling and making all sorts of noise. Kendra didn't pay them any attention. Some mages did that just to throw you off, so she was used to it. The elves readied their arrows in their bows, prepared to fire on the signal.

Just as the uruks got the noisiest, an arrow was loosed, but not from an elf. It struck one of the creatures in the neck; a lucky shot. Aragorn shouted something but Kendra didn't hear him. Some of the uruks snorted before their leader howled something. They started forward.

The command was given and Haldir, the elves, and the Rohirrim loosed their arrows. Kendra allowed her eyes to go silver and lightning seemed to shiver around her fingertips. She pointed and a bolt of lightning struck in the middle of the enemy army. This didn't stop them. But it did take out a good chunk. After that, Kendra became lost in a rhythm that only she knew.


	16. Battling Mage

Author's Note: Before anyone says anything, the chapters are going to be short. That is the way they are written. Please do not criticize unless you know my mind (which nobody does, thankfully).

Chapter Sixteen: Battling Mage

"Ladders!" came the shout from Aragorn.

Kendra turned to look down the wall and saw several ladders being lifted to the walls. The elves had dropped their bows to pull out their swords. Kendra drew in a little more power, the wind around her whipping her coat around her legs as she suddenly started to float a little off the stonewall. Before anyone could do anything, several ladders caught fire and the unfortunate uruks that were on them fell down onto their companions below them.

That didn't stop more ladders from taking their places. When Kendra focused on these, she felt someone grab her ankle and she was suddenly pulled down. Haldir had grabbed and pulled before an arrow had reached the spot where she had been.

"Be careful," he said, before noticing her eyes. "Kendra, what's wrong with your eyes?"

"I'll explain later. And, Haldir, thank you."

Haldir was back up and swinging his sword at the newly arrived uruks. Kendra was back up as well and took to the air again. This time, she used the air itself and started creating wind tunnels. She focused her attacks on the enemies in the back of the oncoming army, taking out as many as she could. They would be the ones to present the greatest danger later on.

The battle was going poorly. Elves and men were falling quickly beneath the never-ending army. Kendra was tired, both physically and magically. Keeping up the steady barrages of fire, lightning, and wind was tiring her. She didn't have to worry about water, as there was plenty of that. Suddenly, a blast caught her by surprise and she thrown into the stone wall next to her. The uruks had managed to plant a bomb.

Kendra picked herself off the floor and looked to see the uruks flooding through the newly destroyed wall. They had breached the Deeping Wall, just like she had feared. She looked to the elves that were waiting behind the wall. There was Aragorn commanding them. Kendra looked over and helped Haldir to stand just as a fresh wave of creatures came up the ladders that were still standing. Kendra quickly pulled out her knife and started fighting hand to hand. She wouldn't be able to use her powers to defend herself right now.


	17. Importance of the Keep

Chapter Seventeen: Importance of the Keep

The call of retreat had been sounded. Kendra and Haldir were working their way towards the stairwell to get off the wall. Both fought back-to-back, taking down any uruks that got in the way. They soon made it to the stairwell and were quickly down it. Unfortunately, there were more uruks down at the bottom.

"Hold on, Haldir," Kendra said as she let her eyes go silver.

She took to the air, grabbing Haldir's arm, taking him with her. The uruks screamed their frustration as their prey escaped. Kendra turned herself towards the keep and they were soon landing in the main courtyard. Once both were on the ground, Kendra collapsed. Haldir was quickly kneeling by her side.

"Kendra, what's wrong?" he asked, helping her up.

"I...I'm tired. I have never used this much power before."

Haldir picked her up bridal style and quickly carried her into the keep. He set her down on one of the benches before turning to leave. Kendra laid down, letting her eyes close as she surrendered to the blackness.

A sound awoke her. Several sounds, actually. Most of them were more crashes and booms than anything else. She opened her eyes to see Legolas dumping the contents off a table before picking it up and moving it to the only set of doors. Kendra sat up, shaking off a wave of dizziness.

"The keep has fallen. All is lost," she heard.

"You said the keep would never fall as long as your men defended it," someone who sounded like Aragorn said.

Kendra shook her head, shaking off the dizziness to find out that it was indeed Aragorn who had spoken. She stood, catching herself before she fell again.

"They still defend it. They've died defending it."

Kendra made her way over to where the king was standing, getting his shoulder bandaged. No one noticed her.

"Will you allow their memories to be shamed, your majesty?"

Theoden jumped, obviously startled at the new voice. He turned to face Kendra, who stood there, straight and tall, not letting her weakness show through.

"No, we shall not allow their memories to be shamed."

He turned to face Aragorn, who had come back over again. They talked about riding out as one last great ride of the Rohirrim. Gimli looked at Kendra before smiling. Kendra watched him take off through a doorway and up some stairs. Kendra looked to Aragorn before following him. She would be no good on a horse, so she might as well follow the dwarf.

She came out on a small platform. Gimli was already standing beside something. He turned to her, before winking and putting his mouth to a small hole and blowing into it. A loud booming sound came out. Kendra knew what these were. They were the horns of Helms Deep. She went over to the second horn and followed Gimli's example. Soon, two booming horns filled the air with their sound.


	18. Victory and Waking Up to Friends

Chapter Eighteen: Victory and Waking Up to Friends

Once the horns of Helms Deep had sounded, Kendra and Gimli made their way back down the stairs to the main room of the keep. The uruks had left to go fight the battle outside as there was obviously no one inside to fight. Both made their way outside and out onto the walkway just in time to see the Riders of Rohan come riding down the steep path that Kendra had noticed before. The uruks had given up on fighting those in their midst to deal with the new threat.

Kendra smiled when she saw who was leading the charge. Gandalf the White. And behind him were hundreds of horsemen. Just as the last came off the top of the hill, the sun crested, blinding the creatures. And from there, the battle turned in their favor. Kendra watched as the uruks slowly broke and started running.

"Victory! We have victory!" she heard Theoden shouting over the fading din of metal clashing against metal.

Kendra collapsed on the walkway, her exhaustion finally catching up with her. She watched as the Riders followed the fleeing uruks to the edge of the canyon. They stopped just as the edge, not wanting to go further.

"It is a victory," Kendra said, allowing darkness to claim her once again.

Kendra woke up to find herself covered with her coat. She was laying on a blanket in a quiet room. She sat up, her coat falling to her waist. Kendra looked around, noticing another figure in the room. She smiled when she saw that it was Haldir. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes open though it was obvious he was asleep. He had a bandage around his head, with a little bit of blood staining the white cloth.

Kendra stood up, stretching her tired muscles. Never before had she ever fought like that. And she knew it would happen again. Kendra leaned down to pick up her coat when her movements awoke the sleeping Haldir.

"Good morning, Kendra," he said.

"Good morning, Haldir. Have you been watching me all night?" she asked, putting her coat on.

"Yes. The past few nights, actually."

"Past few. How many nights has it been?"

"About two. The Rohirrim do not wish to leave until most of their wounded are able to make the trek."

"What about the elves? How many survived?"

Haldir hung his head and Kendra suddenly wished that she hadn't asked.

"There will only be about ten going home with me. We lost a good many."

"I am sorry, Haldir. I truly am. I know what it is like to lose men."

"They will be mourned. But, let us not dwell on that right now. I am sure that everyone will want to know that you are awake. You have worried us."

Haldir turned and started out the door. Kendra followed quickly, wanting to make sure that her friends still lived. The shouts of her name quickly lightened her spirits. Hope had been born again.

AN: Thank you for reading this far. There is one more part coming. Look for Going Home where Kendra's journey will end. Will she find her way home? Or will she remain in Middle Earth forever?


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